Mrs Lord Voldemort
by SKAM
Summary: Leah Everleton knew Tom Riddle since their first day at Hogwarts until the time he died. She paid dearly for loving the man. Watching him turn from the once normal boy, to the man who killed millions. Her regret was never in loving him, but in hating him.


Welcome to my first installment of Mrs. Lord Voldemort. I hope you enjoy my story as you get to watch the evolution of a once normal little boy turn into the dark, evil man, Lord Voldemort. Thank you JK for making up Tom Riddle and the Harry Potter series, it lets my imagination grow.

Mrs. Lord Voldemort

Is this thing on? Oh, good. Hello, my name is Leah Everleton. I had six children and two different husbands. One, who you all know as You-Know-Who. I must say, I am not proud of this fact, no, not now. But, he was oh so ever different when I meant him and fell in love with him. He wasn't the man you either call You-Know-Who, The Dark Lord, or if you are bold, Lord Voldemort. No, he was whom I was accustomed to calling, Tom Riddle, or just plain old Tom.

But this is my Autobiography, not Tom Riddle's, he just a main character in this story. Let me tell you a little bit more about myself. I was born and raised in the small Wizarding Community call Black Raven, founded by no other than herself, Rowena Ravenclaw. As you may or may not know, that Black Raven and Godric's Hallow are the only communities of the founders that are still left on the map. Hufflepuff's community, as some of you know, was destroyed by a Dark Wizard in the thirteenth century and the Slytherin community is said to have been engulfed by the muggle city of London. We can only assume that Diagon Alley and Knockturn Alley may have been once one of its streets.

I'm sorry, I'm rambling off. Like I said earlier, I was born in Black Raven. I was the youngest of four children. Actually I was a little surprise to my parents, I am the youngest by a good nine years. The eldest, older than me by fourteen years, was my brother, Holgan, next in line was Natile, a good thirteen years older, she married and moved to China, so I never saw her again after the age eight. The second youngest was Shira nine years ahead of me, I knew her the best, but as you can imagine, not that well.

Sorry dear, you must be getting impatient with me, I suppose you want me to tell you when I met young Tom Riddle. Some of you may have been expecting me to meet him on the Hogwarts Express, indeed, that was not the fact. It was in the boat ride over the lake. It was a dreadfully cold ride. We poor first years had to endure a down pour and strong winds of a powerful. I remember sitting in the back of the boat next to the boy. He was pale with his lips turning the same shade as mine, though none of us were shivering as bad as he. Wasn't surprising, his school clothing was so old and worn out. When the wind whipped his cloak out from him, you could see the moth eaten wholes in it.

'Are you cold?' I remember asking, worried that the poor boy would die before we even reached land. He didn't really say anything, that was his way back then; he was such a shy poor boy. His dark soaked head just nodded once. 'Here, I'll sit closer to you, it should help some.' I remember scooting next to him, our both soaked bodies huddled together. I will never forget how his body sort of jolted from shock once he felt me next to him. His eyes were rather huge with the look of disbelief that someone was actually being kind to him. Oh, he looked so ever cute there too, he had his hands up to his mouth, breathing into them trying to keep them warm. It almost seemed as if he were biting his finger nails our of a nervous habit.

He didn't bother to let his hand down as he spoke, still wide eyed asked me 'What's your name?' his voice had this sweet sounding tone to it, his voice still not being matured and all as you can imagine. But, when I think of how he asked, he was so timid sounding, as if he were ready for me to lash out or something. I know, I know, its hard to believe that the most terrifying wizard in our time, was once a timid, young boy. But mark my words, he was more than timid, he was cautious and very critical person. There was nothing he wouldn't evaluate first before ever acting. Even if it were to talk to a eleven year old girl who is snuggled up to him for warmth. To him, it was like everything had to have a downside, nothing was truly on friendly terms with him.

I knew nothing of ordeals such as that, when I was a young girl, so I said rather warmly. 'I'm Leah Everleton.' my girlish tendencies were kicking in, and I giggled because he was so cute. 'What's your name?'

He lowered his hands briefly, showing the bottom part of his face, and he answered very quietly that I could barely hear him because of the roaring wind, 'Tom Riddle.'

We went silent for a bit, but as the castle approached I felt a raise of excitement. I knew that I would be sorted into Ravenclaw, my whole family since they began attending Hogwarts, was in Ravenclaw. But I still had to think, what if I got in Hufflepuff or Gryffindor? Of course, the possibility of me being sorted into Slytherin wasn't even a possibility to me, they being a power hungry house, and me, being a little girl who just wanted to be a good successful shop owner. Not very ambitious, I must say.

'Which house do you reckon you will be sorted in?' I questioned politely, trying not to scare him off.

His face furrowed and turned into a frown, then he answered somewhat slowly, 'I have never heard of being sorted into houses.'

My face must have went into a surprised look, my lips saying 'oh'. But I quickly wiped that look off and laughed, 'Are you a Muggle Born?' He just seemed to get more and more confused. 'Did you have non magical parents, I mean.'

He looked down, almost as if he were embarrassed but when he looked up he had an almost angry look, 'I was brought up in a orphanage, the nuns there say my mother gave birth to me there and abandoned me there. I don't know anything of them. Though, I guess, it could be that I am a Muggle Born, just like you said.' he was rather stern with me.

I was sure that if it weren't for the warmth that I was supplying him with at that moment, he would have scooted away from me. But I recovered saying, 'There's nothing wrong with being a Muggle Born.'

Once again, I had to endure his critical gaze as he analyzed me studiously. 'There isn't?' he was a little bit surprised.

'Well, unless you are sorted into Slytherin, no there isn't.' I assured him with a smile.

'Slytherin, is that a school house?' his voice questioned me.

'Why yes, there's Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, and Slytherin.' I named them off on my hand.

I could feel his muscles relax next to me. It was a good sign, it was almost as if he were starting to trust me and except me as his friend. 'Can you tell me about the houses.'

I told him everything that my little eleven year old head knew about the four houses. He had brought up his hands to his mouth again, as I spoke, I remember often wondering if this boy was even really listening. But in the end, I knew he did because of his comment…

'I wish I knew my lineage.' he announced. There was something sad in his tone, as he continued. 'Because Slytherin would very much suit me, I want to be as successful as I can be. And they seem to be they key. But…' he whispered. 'I'm doomed to be a nothing, because my parents couldn't even bother to keep me. Who knows, I could have had magical parents…'

It was rather sad to see him hunch down and talk so lowly of himself. I had to try and cheer him up and I said rather resiliently, 'Anyone can get into Slytherin. If that's the house you want, I'm sure you'll be sorted there. However, it will be kind of sad, I know I will be in Ravenclaw…'

His head shot up as if I had truly given him the greatest ray of hope. He smiled, it was a true smile that made him look like a normal happy child. 'I'm sure we will get along even if we are in separate houses!'

My friendship was starting with this boy, and even now, I am quite glad that I befriended him. I was his only true friend I think Tom Riddle ever truly had. Those who are kind to him, Lord Voldemort never forgets. It may have been the only thing that would save me in my later years, befriending him on that small boat on that cold and miserable night.

It is still hard to think of him as the evil man he became. I often think of that eleven year old boy, sitting in that boat huddled up to me and I wonder what indeed went so wrong for him to become the evil Lord Voldemort. I try not to think about, because if anyone had the answer, it would be me. And I often think back, searching for the answer.

* * *

Our first year was speeding by at great speeds. Tom had been sorted into Slytherin, I into Ravenclaw as we wanted. To say the least, Tom wasn't having a good time in that house. In fact, most of the time he went straight to the library after classes and didn't go down to the Slytherin common rooms until it was curfew.

Most of the time I would come down stairs from the Ravenclaw tower to hang out with my lonely friend, to keep him company. I felt bad for him and I thought he didn't deserve to be treated like he was by his own house. We were friends you see, we had to be there for each other.

I ran into the musty library, huffing and puffing like I usually did. I was surprised that I didn't see him at his usual spot, the first table in the library. 'Tom?' I called out somewhat loudly, getting a look from the up tight librarian. 'Tom, where are you?' I called out once more.

'Ssshh! This is a library, Ms. Everleton! Not one of your social gathering places!' the old, bony librarian hissed.

I quickly dodged into the next row of books, trying to avoid her hawk like gaze. Pausing for a few moments, I waited until I heard the loud thumping of her stamping. She was busy and no longer aware of my presence. It aloud me once again to go look for Tom. This time when I called out his name I made sure that I was farther and out of earshot of the librarian. 'Tom!' I waited for a few minutes before I continued further and further into the library. Getting tired and huffy, I called once more, 'Tom, answer me!'

'Leah?' I heard his soft voice echo somewhere from my right. I quickly ran down that row and found him sitting in the dark in an alcove. It was almost as if he were hiding… 'Oh it is you… I'm s-sorry, I thought you were someone else…'

My brain stopped for a moment. Was that a stammer? Tom Riddle never in his life stammered. What he said was precise and well thought out. I knew something was wrong. 'Tom, what is it.' he was hunched in the chair and the shadows didn't allow me to see his face.

It was the weirdest thing that came out of his mouth next. His voice, it was depressed and dreary. 'Leah, do you come from a rich, pureblood family?'

My face frowned. What was I supposed to say? My friend had been sorted into the most greedy snobbish house. All they did was worry about is if the person they were talking to had money, from a good family, and was not a muggle. To say the least, Tom didn't clear any of those hurdles, or at least he didn't when he was an eleven year old boy. He would one day become the leader of the Slytherins.

After thinking over what he had said for a few moments, I answered reluctantly, 'Well, yes I do come from a pureblood family, and, well, are family is nowhere as rich as most of the Slytherin families, but yes we are moderately rich. When I say moderately, I mean, we have a small fortune, but its no bigger than the average Wizarding family…'

I could see from the way Tom by habit tucked his head down, that he was thinking. I wasn't sure if he was reflecting on what I said. But he replied rather coldly, 'So why do you hang around me?'

Shrugging, I pulled up a chair and sat in front of him. For the first time I saw his face. It was a face I have never seen on his features, however, it was one that I would later become well acquainted with. His eyes were dark and piercing as he looked at me, with the meanest down turn smile you could ever see on a boy that age.

I knew he was going to be difficult to get through to, 'Tom.' I started softly. 'You have known me for the past few months, have I ever made you think that I cared that you could be a muggle or that you have no money?'

He looked at me with those calculating eyes that were well on their way analyzing me. It only took a few calculating seconds for him to let out a sigh and let his stressed shoulders drop. Tom really amazed me. He was the same age as me, but yet there was this air of maturity. Not him acting like an adult, but, the way he thought and the thoughts he let pass through his mind. I only remember a few moments of our lives where he was truly carefree for long periods of time. If he ever was carefree when he was young, they came with spouts, but quickly disappeared.

'No.' he finally whispered, he was ashamed of accusation for sure. He looked up sheepishly, 'No, you have always been kind to me. It's just that, they…'

He didn't have to say anything for me to understand what he meant. Slytherins were known to be quite the assholes. Even when they were just eleven year old boys and girls, they would still henpeck the one who didn't fit in just right.

Tom shook his head violently, as if he could shake a bad thought away. I wasn't just about to let him keep something in. Something that was obviously chewing up the poor boys conscience. 'What is it?'

His eyes got big, like they usually did when I caught him off guard. For Tom, it was often hard for him to accept that we were indeed friends and if I could tell there was something wrong, I wanted to hear about it. I knew that at the orphanage he came from he had no friends and none of the nuns particularly liked him. Tom was the boy whose mother gave birth to, before leaving him. The orphanage decided to keep him an adopt him in a way. Not the kind loving way, but they had hopes he would one day grow up and run the orphanage. It was clear to me, that was the number one thing that Tom did not want to do.

He wanted success. Tom wanted it so much that it often could be seen pulsing through his veins. Without a doubt in my mind, I knew that Tom worked harder than anyone else when it came to school work. It was as if he thought that if he didn't get any mark other than outstanding, he would be sent away to live as a muggle the rest of his life. Being a muggle, I think when he was a boy, was the most scariest thing to him. To be reverted back to a nothing, just someone for the orphanage to raise so that he could inherit that nightmare.

Tom was worrying about being a muggle again that day, 'It's just that, well, I don't see how I am going to get enough money to attend school again next year.'

I gave him the most reassuring smile I could muster, 'Tom, do you honestly think that you will be expelled for not having money?'

He gave me the look, like he was thinking I was naïve or something, 'Well how am I going to pay for my second year text books if I don't have any money?'

My mouth dropped and closed. He had a point. I couldn't very well just tell him my family would cover it, for I wasn't sure if they ever would. He gave me an incredulous look, as if he was wondering if I were for real. Was I think naïve. He shook his head a little irritated at me. 'I know I could just get a job as a newspaper boy. But the thing is, will I make enough?'

I didn't want to look at him. I felt so ashamed sitting there in my nice and crisp robes that had been purchased for me brand new just a few previous months ago, while my good friend sat across the table from me in these, tattered robes and school clothes that must have been at least ten years old and passed down from brother to brother a few times… It was horrible that an eleven year old on his way to being twelve, would have to work hard just so he could stay in school and get an education.

I remember that this incident had also ruined my plans I had had that summer. Seeing how I spent so much of my time with him throughout the day, I never did become close with anyone else that school year. My best friend was Tom, and I his. I so very much wanted him to come and stay with me a few weeks that summer. But, he needed a job, and he would go back to that 'hell hole' he so affectionately called it.

I looked up at him, I was slightly blushing when I admitted my plans to him, 'I- you see… I wanted you to come out this summer for a few weeks… but if… you… you don't think you can I understand… no biggie…'

My words swiped any haughty look he had had on his face. 'R-really?' he sputtered out of pure surprise, his eyes once again getting big out of shock.

I was sure my cheeks were lighting up that dim area from my blushing when I nodded. I glanced up just a bit to see that Tom's mouth was opening and closing like a fish. 'Well… I…' his voice cracked a little and he cleared his throat. 'I'm sure if I get enough money before the summer ends… I-I could…'

My heart never soared so high in my life. I couldn't believe that a sometime difficult boy was actually saying yes to staying with me part of the summer. 'That's great!' I said fully energetic my body must have been shivering with so much energy. 'Because I sent an owl to my parents and they said they would be more than happy to come and get you and everything!'

We had another one of our rare moments, he was smiling so beautifully that he looked so handsome. Not many people can say they truly ever saw him smile. But my kindness touched him so much he showed it. His voice was even bright and gentle, 'I'd be glad to join you this summer at your house.'

If I hadn't been a little girl, my heart would have melted. At those words I remember planning a thousand and one adventures, involving just him and I and the huge acreage of my parents estate.

* * *

My parents and I walked down the dirty and cluttered streets of the muggle town that Tom lived in. When Tom had described the place that he lived in as hell hole, he wasn't kidding. I'm glad to say that now days the area has been torn down and turned into an office complex area. My poor little twelve year old mind hadn't developed much since my eleven year old mind, and I was in complete shock at the place. I am telling you, there was garbage and shaggy looking people walking everywhere. Mot of the buildings had boarded windows. As a matter of fact, I think that the orphanage was the only building I saw that looked like anyone lived in it. No boarded windows you see.

Though the place still looked horrible and dreadfully dirty. The building itself was a brick structure. But once my parents and I walked through that door, that awfully painted grey door, to the orphanage, I about lost it. The walls were cracked and chipped and I am sure they had never been painted in there history. I wanted to curl up in a ball on the floor, however, the floor was a stone cobbled and slimy… My face screwed up in disgust and my mother reprimanded me, telling me to behave and use my manors.

Quickly a old looking, I guess it was a woman, for I really couldn't tell, her face was wrinkly and leathery and she wore black from head to toe. I figured this is what Tom was talking about when he said 'nun'. None the less, she was scary, I remember grabbing a hold of my mothers hand like a little girl and fussing.

'Leah!' she hissed.

It made me behave.

The… thing… spoke rather softly and said, 'Hello, you must be the Everletons here for Tom.' we nodded and she continued. 'Well he will be down here in a matter moments. Please follow me to the visitors room.'

I was expecting a warm and cozy place to wait, but I was so dead wrong. The place was cold, colder than the room we just came out of. But there was a bench that we sat down as we watched children all like Tom run by. Most of them were carrying pales and mops. They were laughing and very cheery for being in a place so gloomy. I deep down wondered how come Tom didn't laugh and joke around like the children who passed by. In my mind I came up with the conclusion that it was because he had been stuck here all of his life.

But, later I found out that it wasn't the case… That's the thing with Tom, just because he may have been nice to you, didn't necessarily mean he was to everyone else. In fact the children at the orphanage hated and feared Tom more than anything. Though, there isn't a doubt in my mind, that whatever he did to those children at first wasn't intentional. But, Tom did like being in control and once he figured out he could do damage and keep them under his thumb by fear, he became out of control.

He once told me that when he was younger he accidentally injured a girl who was older than him. She had been beating on him, and, as all young wizards and witches do, he did magic without knowing how. Tom soon figured out how to use it at a whim, a feat not many could do without a wand. I think it was his desire to control them that made him such a adept at it.

The laughing children that had passed us while we were waiting for Tom, must have been celebrating that the tyrant was leaving…

But none of these thoughts didn't even occur as he came waling through the hallway with his single suit case. I noticed that since I had seen him last he had grown a few inches and was no a bit taller than myself. However on the downside, he looked thinner and almost sickly. I didn't dwell on the thought, I just went squealing to him and hugged him tightly enough for him to drop his suit case. 'Tom!'

He hugged me back a bit awkwardly, but it was more from the fact that I was hugging him too tight than from embarrassment. 'Hi, Leah.'

I released him and took his free hand and practically dragged him to my parents. 'This is my mom, Melida, and my father, George. This is Tom.' I introduced like a good girl.

In return they shook hands and Tom muttered shyly, 'Nice to meet you.'

To say the least, my family didn't take any time in leaving, we left as soon as Tom and my parents shook hands. I never saw Tom so relieved in his life as he walked down the stairs to sidewalk. Once my parents appearated us out of there, I was equally relieved as Tom.

I can remember how his face went blank we he saw our home at Black Raven.


End file.
